Many have tried every diet and every exercise and still have no idea why they cannot lose weight. Many of these people do not realize that they are insulin resistant. If they learned a new, easy way to eat so that the body can best use the nutrients ingested, they would finally be able to reach their weight loss goals. Once the body is more efficiently digesting food, a person will not only reach their ideal weight but also have a lot more energy and better health.

What Is Insulin Resistance?

Insulin resistance is often confused with pre-diabetes. These are different things.

Insulin is made by the pancreas and determines how well each cell absorbs glucose or sugar. Insulin resistance, also known as syndrome X, actually refers to people who produce insulin as they should, but their body does not know what to do with it. In turn, their cells are not absorbing as they should nor is it utilizing it efficiently. This leads to illness and weight gain.

To compensate, the pancreas then will produce more insulin. Pre-diabetes is actually where the level of sugar in the body is higher than normal but not so high that it can be considered type II diabetes. In essence, insulin resistance can lead to pre-diabetes, which can lead to type II diabetes. If you fall under any of these, you want to consider a change in lifestyle.

In the book The Insulin Resistance Diet Book by Hart and Grossman, you can learn easy ways to change your diet, while still eating the foods you love.

If you are insulin resistant, you will need to change the way you eat. | Source

How to Know if You Are Insullin Reisistant

It is believed that 75 percent of those who are overweight are considered insulin resistant, and 30 million people in the United States alone. Insulin resistance can last for ten to twelve years before developing into type II diabetes.

If your body is heading towards diabetes, then it is good to know the symptoms to look out for, so you know if you need to be proactive in changing your diet. Here is an extensive list of possible symptoms. According to Hart and Grossman, if you have at least three of these, you are at high risk for eventually becoming diabetic. The more that you have, the more likely your body is resistant to insulin and you need to make changes. This list is not as comprehensive and has been simplified from the list you will find in the book.

acne

overweight with an inability to lose weight despite exercise and diet

hypoglycemia

feeling jittery

polycystic ovarian syndrome

high blood pressure

craving sugar and carbohydrates

apple shaped obesity

hirsutism (unwanted hair)

skin tags

the need to eat often or excessive amount of food

gaining weight even when eating small amounts of food

irregular periods - skipping months

headaches and difficulty thinking

nausea that goes away when you eat

afternoon fatigue

gout

history of blood clots

Eggs is a good source of protein, and a good food to eat for those who are insulin resistant | Source

Why it Leads to Extra Weight

In order to understand why insulin resistance would lead to being overweight or even obesity, it is important to understand the role that insulin plays in our bodies. Insulin has three main functions: It transforms food into energy, helps regulate blood sugar levels, and helps store fat. If your insulin levels are not as they should be it will affect your energy, which will also affect how your fat is stored.

Our main source of energy is found in carbohydrates, including starches, sugars, fruits, etc. These carbohydrates are broken down into sugar. Ideally, it will be broken down into glucose, since that is the simplest sugar and the only one that can be used as energy. What often happens in an insulin resistant person is their body will actually overreact when they eat carbohydrates by producing an unnecessary level of insulin, which in turn causes excess fat to be stored.

In other words, when your insulin levels are high, you are storing more fat.

Source

What Can I Do to Start Losing Weight

The book is an ideal way to learn how to shape the way you eat, but for beginners it is important that you pair a protein with whatever you eat. If you are going to eat toast, put sugar-free peanut butter on it, eat a can of yogurt, or a hard boiled egg.

Choose your snacks more wisely. When you go to grab some chips for a snack, eat a stick of string cheese to go with it. If you want to be more healthy grab an apple and smear peanut butter on it. Make sure you have a protein at every meal, preferably a healthy one.

Through this diet, you won't have to prepare yourself different food than your family, like you do with the Atkins or other diets. You also won't have to make out charts and lists. You just have to understand the importance of different types of food. Good luck, and I hope you find success losing weight. For those who don't need to lose weight, you will realize you have more energy by following the guidelines set forth in the book, in just a short time! You may also find a reduction in your current chronic illnesses as I have in my asthma.

This book was given to me by my family doctor. Although I was not diabetic, type II diabetes was very common in my family, and I was showing a lot of signs that I needed to change my diet or I could become diabetic when I was older. After changing my diet I lost thirty pounds and have control over many of my inflammatory diseases.

Comments

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jamila sahar 5 years ago

great hub ! very useful and now understand the problem i too have been having, thanks for sharing this valuable information

Pamela Kinnaird W 6 years agofrom Maui and Arizona

I found this very interesting and I will be buying that book. Thank you.

Author

Angela Michelle Schultz 6 years agofrom United States

You should get the book, it gives you tips on managing your weigt without going hungry. Plus if you have insurance, you should get it checked by the doctor.

ChristineVianello 6 years agofrom Philadelphia

Hmm.....I am trying to lose some weight for my wedding and it is pretty much impossible! I wonder if I am insulin resistant?

Author

Angela Michelle Schultz 7 years agofrom United States

I need to become more dedicated to healthy eating. As we speak, I am thinking about the Ben and Jerry's in my freezer.

Dave Sibole 7 years agofrom Leesburg, Oh

Voted up and useful. Makes sense. I also have started losing weight (and I need to lose a lot) just by adding all natural supplements to my diet. I used to think about eating all the time now I rarely think about it and almost never hungry.

Author

Angela Michelle Schultz 7 years agofrom United States

Ian Turner, I'm still learning about nutrients and what ones are good for you.

Author

Angela Michelle Schultz 7 years agofrom United States

Bayoulady, I hope you found this useful. Did you end up getting the book?

Ian Turner 7 years agofrom Somerset-England

An excellent article. Complex carbs rule!

bayoulady 7 years agofrom Northern Louisiana,USA

Thanks for the info about how inexpensive it would be to buy this book.

Author

Angela Michelle Schultz 7 years agofrom United States

Yeah, I have a close friend who is thin with diabetes. She was diagnosed in her twenties. That was just how her body was. I think some people are born at higher risk. Are you insulin dependent?

Stephanie Hicks 7 years agofrom Bend, Oregon

I'm a Type 1 diabetic and find it funny that people are always amazed when I tell them I have diabetes because I don't fit the "mold" of overweight, etc. Blood sugar levels are affected by - and can affect - many bodily functions: sleep, stress, losing weight, gaining weight, fertility (yes), immunity and so much more. Interesting hub on a very important issue

cwarden 7 years agofrom USA

This is great! Thanks so much for all of this information, I am going to get this book. Wish you did get something for introducing me to it, I wouldn't have found it otherwise.

heart4theword 7 years agofrom hub

So good to know, appreciate the information you passed our way! Will look into this book:) Great Informational Hub!

Author

Angela Michelle Schultz 7 years agofrom United States

Very interesting! Yet another fact that makes me like this diet that much more! WOW!!!

Carisa Blades 7 years agofrom Ogden, Utah

Angela- A lot of times insulin resistance goes hand and hand with infertility, because of the weight gain and the disruption to your hormones. A lot of women who are struggling with weight and infertility get pregnant after switching to an insulin resistance diet. :)

Ingenira 7 years ago

Can't agree with you more. I have actually tried a diet program that regulate the body insulin, and it worked wonders for me, I lost 18kg from that.

Sam 7 years agofrom Tennessee

up and useful! I think you've hit on my problem with weight gain.

blessings and Happy Thanksgiving...

Carisa Blades 7 years agofrom Ogden, Utah

Great article! Being insulin resistant can definitely be frustrating.

Susan Mills 7 years agofrom Indiana

This is very helpful. I wish you did get money from people getting the book!!